The Columbus journal., 1887-10-19
THE WAR IN DIXIE.
A CONFEDERATE COLONEL GIVES
SOME WAR TIME EXPERIENCES.

A CONFEDERATE COLONEL GIVES
SOME WAR TIME EXPERIENCES.
A Burnt Offering Of Surplus Baggage.
Novel Methods Of Preparing . Dinner.
A Primitive Spring Bed-An Icy Couch.
A Predestinsrian.
In the spring Of 1862 our patres con-
script had evidently become convinced
that the contest was likely to be both seri-
GUS and long, and volunteers for three
years or the war were called for. Soon
after this was ut COrinth, Miss, as CAP
tain of a company in the Thirty-eighth
Mississippi regiment. had provided my
self with an ample supply of bedding, in
cluding mattress, and took along trunk
containing some elegant citizens clothing
for dress or social occasions. One day our
quartermaster requested us to send all
baggage to the depot for ''convcniencc Of
transportation in case Of retreat This
was thoughtful of him and felt grateful,
but not for long In Q few hours it trans
pired that our luggage was not to he
checked through, but was to be burned
1t began to dawn upon me that had been
somewhat stupid in my military prepara-
tiOns, but when I rushed OF to the depot
and found several acres of similar impedi-
ments piled up for burnt Offering / felt
somewhat relieved. 1t was clear that my
ears were no longer than my neighbors'.
That night COrinth was evacuated. The
measles, disease very fatal to soldiers,
had already appeared in camp and the ex-
pOsure of this retreat resulted in the death
Of fifty-nine men in my company of 13O.
The regiment had been hurried to the
front before submitting to the hardening
process OF a camp Of instruction, through
the ambitious vanity of its colonel, who
was in haste to win brigadier's wreath.
1t OccasiOned no surprise that the lean
Jack Falstaff ran away from our first
serious fight at Iuka and We saw him no
more. On this retreat o feat was per-
formed in a culinary way that could not
be excelled. Being separated from our
trains and having little knowledge of the
need of being always prepared for sudden
movements, there was neither pot nor pan
to be found in the company
In spite of these minor difficulties /
dined one day, by invitation, and, as 7
thought at the time, luxuriously, off of
hot loaf bread and butter and broiled
tenderloin steak. Dinner was prepared
In this way: A pit was dug some twenty
inches square and one foot deep with a
shoulder half ways down. In this pit dry
oak twigs were burned to embers. A
clean handkerchief well Toured answered
for tray and the loaf, when kneaded,
was placed in the pit. This was covered
with bark and earth and the oven was
perfect and complete. When the bread
py-nxa Nfh OF
duty as n griddle, and with the help of a
few necessities obtained from farm
house the steak was broiled and seasoned
to turn.
A PRIMITIVE SPRING BED.
After the burnt Offering mentioned
trunks and mattresses disappeared and,
most generally, tents were an unknown
luxury to the private soldier in the field
Here again necessity spurred on invention
and sort OF liliputian tent was the re-
suit. Four stakes about two feet long,
with forks for cross pieces, were driven in
the ground. On these a platform was
made by laying poles lenethwise. thus
making spring bed of no mean preten-
sions. About three feet above this was d
ridge pole, across which a rubber or
wOolen blanket was stretched tent fash
ion. A blanket laid on the platform, anG
another for covering formed the tempo
rary couch OF two men. They entered oa
all fOurs ut the end. as a rat enters his
hole, but, unlike the rat, they did not
turn round to come out. This pretentious
style of housekeeping was only resorted
to in wet weather. Strict economy in the
matter of labor was the rule among SOL
diers, and the earth for a couch and the
CT ~ n S.rffi i'm
l never knew one Of these platforms made
to avoid sleeping on the frozen ground.
The soldier would spread his blanket and
lie down until his underside fraternized
with the ice, when he would growl and
turn over and freeze the other side while |
the first thawed out, and SO on through
the night
well remember one fellow, fine SOL |
der, too, who scorned the burden of even
q blanket on the march. and SO at night,
when he failed to steal one (Which was
seldo;n), he sat up by u fire and made |
night hideOus with mock sermons Of Won ]
derful theology and doubtful morality. |
Strange to say, he survived the war; and |
is now enlisted in the army of the Lord. |
At Nicksburg this same preacher was re- |
spOnsible Tor u ready retort under trying |
He was then u firm Cal |
whist, and was always ready to do battle
in defense of his creed. One day he was
sitting, with group, in an angle of the
works, discussing his favOrite dogma Of |
Just then n shell explOd-
ed and knocked the Professionalism over
without hurting him. When he recov-
cred his breath and legs he darted off for
the shelter of traverse just in front of |
Us. His antagonist yeaed at and twitted
him with his want of faith in his own doc
trine. He did not pause in the order of
his going, but suffered back: Ca ca
can't stop; it's pre- pre- pre- destined that
must get on the other side Of the ira
and he fulfilled the decree to
the letter and with cOmmendable alacrity.